I can't get the hair on my model to render, or even apply color. (Buzzcut)
A few possibilities are (assuming using cycles):


For the mesh, you should make two materials; the first material is for the mesh itself, the second material is used to select it from the 'particle systems' to use for the hair material. To change the hair material, you should only modify the second material, since the first material is used for the mesh (for example face color). In image, the first material, light colored is used for the mesh and second material, dark colored is used for the hair and is also selected in the particle systems.

When you are in particle edit mode, then you don't see the hair when you render it or use rendered shading. You should see the hair, when you are in vertex paint mode, edit mode, object mode, sculpt mode, weight paint mode or texture mode.


But I am not sure if this is what you mean :)